Camiguin before it’s too late March 4, 2008

Camiguin: ‘Do it now before it’s too late’

By Arlene Paredes
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 14:07:00 03/04/2008“CAMIGUIN is very small, you can roam the whole island in a day,” said my friend Mavic Hilario, when she learned that I was planning a trip to the island.

Camiguin is second only to Batanes as the smallest province in the Philippines.

“You’ll enjoy the place, it’s a little paradise,” Mavic added. Other friends who’ve been to Camiguin have one common thing to say about my planned getaway: “Do it now before it’s too late.”

However, my travel buddy Noel Miñoza and I still arrived late-at least for the ferry. We just assumed that the last trip for the Camiguin-bound ferry from Balingoan in Misamis Oriental would be at around 6 p.m. What a mistake!

It turned out that the last trip leaves daily at 4 p.m. We were just leaving Cagayan De Oro around that time. (It takes two hours to go to the Balingoan Port from Cagayan De Oro City.)

From the port in Guinsilaban, we took a habal-habal (9-seater tricyle) and spent 30 minutes on the road to Mambajao, the town capital of Camiguin, where we’d reserved a tree house at the Enigmata Ecolodge. Our driver said our trip would cover more than 30 kilometers, which is already nearly half of the entire Camiguin stretch. It was just getting close to 9 p.m. but the whole island seemed to have gone to slumber.

At 6 the next morning, we met Kuya Jess, our motorcycle rider-slash-tourist guide who would bring us to different stopovers in Camiguin. The goal was just to look around and see as many tourist points, because Noel was going back to Cagayan De Oro in the afternoon, and I would have to leave at 5 a.m. the next day.

We had only one day. I would later find out that such a short time was not enough to fully experience Camiguin’s wonders.

White Island

The first stop was White Island. Breathtaking! I could see the entire island from the boat we boarded from Paras Beach. The sand was white, soft and really soothing to the skin. There were few people on the beach, plus some quaint lunch booths for quick seafood meals, so a huge part of the 2-km stretch of White Island was clear for my eyes to feast on. That was the sweetest space and freedom I’ve ever experienced.

Mantigue Island

There are two islands off Camiguin for tourists to enjoy. The first is White Island, for quiet nature trippers and conventional swimmers; the other is Mantigue Island, which is a bit longer by about 1 km. Unlike White Island, there are trees and shade in Mantigue, which has been declared a marine sanctuary. It’s perfect for snorkeling and diving.

For group tours, Roger Saturos, a teacher at Mantigue Island on weekdays and a tourist guide in Camiguin on weekends, can help make arrangements for lodging, boats, etc. You may text him at 0920-2306407.

Churches and giant clams

Our guide also brought me to the Sto. Niño Cold Springs, Moro Watchtower, the ruins of the old Church and a convent in the old Catarman, which was buried by an earthquake followed by a deadly eruption of Mt. Vulcan in 1871; the very old Sto. Rosario Church (built in 1882), and the preservation site of giant clams at the Kebela White Beach in Barangay Cantaan. The live giant clams on display included species like the Tridacna crocea, T. maxima, T. squamosa, T. derasa, T. gigas, and Hippopus hippopus.

Camiguin is still pretty much pristine and unspoiled by man. From its seven massive peaks (including Mt. Hibok-Hibok) to its waterfalls and cold and hot springs, plus its beautiful dive sites, Camiguin should be a prime destination for nature enthusiasts and passionate adventurers alike.

E-mail the author at lhenparedes@gmail.com.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/2bu/view/20080304-122700/Camiguin-Do-it-now-before-its-too-late

Wall climbing in Boracay August 30, 2006

My Bora climbing experience
Arlene Paredes

Published on August 30, 2006 in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

IF YOU sports enthusiasts out there ever decide to fly to Boracay during the rainy season, remember you may miss doing some water sports, but you can still flex your muscles right in the comfort of Patio Pacific, the only resort with wall-climbing facility that is perfect for fun-filled barkada sports.

This author tried wall-climbing for the first time. I didn’t really expect to make it to the top. Sometimes it’s better to just enjoy the journey, or in the case of wall-climbing, the way to the top, than be too occupied with the destination.

We climbers first checked the equipment at the Patio Pacific Alpha Fitness Centre and did some warm-up exercises to stretch our muscles.

Legwork

“Remember, use the power of your legs and feet,” Kuya Richard of Patio Pacific told me as he helped me don the harness that would ensure my safety during the climb.

“Keep this rope between your arms and don’t let it bother you,” he said, noting that some beginners mess with the rope, making their climb more difficult than it should be.

Whether my legs and feet have sufficient “power” for the climb, I was going to find out.

Curiously though, when I looked closely at the holds on wall, I was thinking of how to hold rather than step on them. I was definitely thinking of handwork rather than footwork. This would later result in shocked and stressed arms the morning after.

(After the climb, I read some stories on wall climbing. I learned that beginners are not likely to understand that the sport requires more precision in footwork than anything else.)

I asked the guide if it would be okay to climb barefooted since I didn’t think my beach sandals could help make the climb any easier. Kuya Richard said some people actually prefer to climb barefooted. So I did.

After the first few steps, my instinct was telling me to look up and check the distance left from the top. This is wrong. This is not enjoying the journey, this is impatience.

The right thing to do is look down and check for holds to step on. Once you found another hold to stick your foot on, that’s when you look up to find a handhold that could clear several inches to the top. Progress in steps and give in to the thrill, not fear, of doing it.

Kuya Richard was observing me very carefully, shouting some directions when he noticed I was getting stuck for over five seconds. As much as possible, trainers will let you strategize your own climb. But once you’re stuck, trust them when they say “right” or “left,” it is the way to go. If your foot slips off at first attempt, relax. Direct your weight properly to place your foot at a right angle and you’ll get comfortable in no time.

After a few minutes, I noticed my arms were beginning to ache and my fingers were shaking. I knew I wasn’t doing it right but I had no time to care, I was almost at the top. I thought if I fretted about not doing it right, instead of just giving in to the thrill, I would mess up a few meters to the top.

I was laughing when I grabbed on the last handhold to the top. Not knowing I could do it but enjoying anyway resulted in an awesome “Dear Diary” moment. I finally did it!

Bell

“Ring the bell!” Kuya Richard yelled.

“What bell?” I yelled back. I was so high throughout the course that I forgot I was supposed to pull the bell string once I had cleared the wall.

Of course, it’s not over until the bell rings!

After ringing the bell, I held on tight to the rope as I was told and just let gravity take care of me. What can I say, it’s always exciting to fall if you know someone’s going to catch you.

Once I was back on the ground, Kuya Richard first checked my hands for any scrape or cut. Clear. Then he asked me what body part was most stressed at that point. I said my arms. And my fingers were still shaking. He laughed, “You didn’t do it right.” I pleaded guilty. But I was still definitely ecstatic.

Now remember, your legs are stronger than your arms. Trust your legs to place your foot properly on the holds. Use them well. The next time I try wall-climbing, I’ll bear that in mind.

Pampering

After the climb, what should one do?

Do cool-down exercises to relax the muscles.

Alpha Wellness Centre boasts of cutting-edge equipment for pampering the body, the Alpha Capsule. This “unearthly” capsule combines dry-heat sauna, aromatherapy, ionized air (healthy molecules absorbable by the human body), massage and soothing music for a completely relaxing experience.

A 30-minute stay inside the Alpha Capsule and a separate 30-minute Swedish massage are more than enough rewards for the wall-climbing challenge this author had to face. (Inquirer link here.)

E-mail the author at lhenparedes@gmail.com

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